BROOKLYN, N.Y. – LIU Brooklyn defeated Mount St. Mary's 69-45 in Northeast Conference (NEC) women's basketball action on Saturday.

Sydney Henderson (Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) paced the Mount (7-11, 3-4 NEC) with 12 points. The junior has posted double figures in seven-straight contests. Sandra Andresson (Tallinn, Estonia/Audentes School) added nine points in the loss.

Ashley Palmer fueled the Blackbirds (14-5, 3-4 NEC) with 20 points and eight rebounds while Ebony Davis tallied 12 points and eight rebounds.

Mount St. Mary's got off to a strong start, but LIU Brooklyn closed the first half and opened the final period strong to come away with the victory and split the season series.

With the Mount holding a 29-18 lead, the Blackbirds scored 14 points in the final five minutes to take the lead at the break. Davis started the run with a layup at 4:55 before Marika Sprow converted two free throws at 4:32. Palmer scored six of the next eight points while Davis added the other basket to give LIU Brooklyn a 30-29 lead. Sprow closed the half with a jumper with 27.6 remaining to give the Blackbirds a 32-29 lead at halftime.

Palmer started the game with two free throws for LIU Brooklyn at 19:30. The Mountaineers then scored the next 14 points to grab a 14-2 margin. Tara Lonergan (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side) opened the surge with a layup at 19:03 before Henderson drained a jumper at 18:25. After Andresson hit a jumper at 17:33, Henderson and Ashley Christie (Miamisburg, Ohio/Archbishop Alter) each drained triples before Lonergan capped the spurt with a jumper at 15:54.

The Blackbirds responded to score seven of the next nine points to trim the margin to 16-9. With the Mount holding a 20-12 lead, Rachel Mathews (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) drained a jumper at 11:33 and Henderson san a trey at 9:52 to restore a double-digit lead at 25-12. Palmer and Sprow scored the next four points only to see Henderson hit a jumper for a 27-16 advantage with 6:42. Davis and Kayla Grossett (Toronto, Ontario/David and Mary Thompson C.I.) traded baskets before LIU Brooklyn ended the stanza with 14 unanswered points to claim the lead at the break.

The Blackbirds continued the offensive surge to start the second half by scoring the first 18 points of the period in the first seven minutes and 37 seconds. LIU Brooklyn scored 32 straight points while holding Mount St. Mary's off the scoreboard for 14 minutes and 30 seconds.

Grossett stopped the run with a free throw with 11:34 on the clock. Lonergan scored in the paint at 10:55 and Jen Carney (Drexel Hills, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) drained two free throws with 10:28 on the clock to make it a 16-point game. She'tiarra Pledger responded with a layup at 8:10 and Kiara Evans registered a basket to restore a 20-point margin and the Mountaineers could get no closer the rest of the way.

Mount St. Mary's started the game by hitting 8 of its first 10 shots on the afternoon and finished the first half 12 of 20 (60 percent).

Mount St. Mary's returns to action on Monday at St. Francis (N.Y.). Game time is 7 p.m.